"Millennium King 80,000 Year Turtle"
Why is there such a statement? Can your domestic tortoise really be passed down for three generations?
If it is passed on to one generation in an average of 25 years, the vast majority of turtles that can be legally raised in China at present will not survive three generations
For example, the most widely reared Mississippi red-eared turtle, also known as "BaShen", has a lifespan of only 15-25 years, with an average lifespan of only 17 years. Coupled with non-hibernation, hypnosis, and wrong breeding methods, the vast majority of Brazilian turtles actually last less than 10 years.
The vast majority of egg turtle families that are popular in the pet market only have a lifespan of about 20-30 years
The holder of the name "turtle", the Chinese grass turtle, has a lifespan of only about 30 years. It is comparable to the slightly larger flower turtle
So how did the "Millennium King Eighty Thousand Year Turtle" come about?
In china's traditional culture, turtles and turtles have always been regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness and longevity, and exaggeration can better reflect the emotions in blessings
In "Zhuangzi's Getaway," it is said: "There is a spirit in the south of Chu, and five hundred years old is the spring and five hundred years old is the autumn."
In the Book of Differences, it is said: "The turtle has been hairy for a thousand years, and it has lived for five thousand years, and it is called the god turtle and the spirit turtle for ten thousand years."
Both turtles are described as "gods" with a lifespan of more than a thousand years.
The more "reliable" record is that Sima Qian said in the "History of Gui Celie":
"The old man in the south uses a turtle to support the bed foot, and is more than twenty years old. The old man dies, the bed is moved, and the turtle is still alive and dead. ”
This account is more cruel... However, if the turtle as a "stepping foot" has to eat and drink
Living for more than twenty years is better than living for a thousand years
Therefore, the "Ten Thousand Year Turtle" in China actually does not exist
And the "Millennium King VIII" is "possible"
That's the Chinese giant turtle: the spotted turtle, the mountain turtle and the genus Shrew
As large turtles, in addition to the natural lifespan of these turtles can reach more than 80 years, they can also grow very large - old mature individuals have a shocking body size of more than 1 meter. Coupled with the possibility that larger individuals were observed by the ancients thousands of years ago, it gave people the illusion that turtles could live for thousands of years
Yes, in that era such a huge turtle appeared in front of man
Who wouldn't marvel at the magnificence of life?
In addition to China's giant turtle, tortoises and sea turtles in some other countries have a very long lifespan
So, why can turtles and tortoises live so long?
Donna Holmes, a scientist and professor and member of the Center for Reproductive Biology from the University of Idaho and Washington State University, said turtles have an extraordinarily long lifespan for two main reasons:
Slow metabolism and special defenses that have evolved against predators
Turtles are thermothermal animals and have what scientists call a slow metabolism. They consume the energy they get from food very, very slowly. Since they depend on ambient temperature, they also don't need to expend a lot of energy to keep themselves warm.
Our bodies need energy to keep us growing. When we eat food, our bodies chemically convert it into energy that can be used. But sometimes this chemical process has other effects, which ultimately damage our tissues and cells. Generally when this happens, we will see signs of aging, such as wrinkles.
When we studied animals with slow metabolisms, we found that their tissues and cells were not damaged as expected by their age and size.
Therefore, slow growth is actually the basis for the "longevity" of turtles and tortoises
The second reason why turtles live so long is also related to low metabolism
That is, most long-lived turtles hibernate/hibernate.
They sink into the mud at the bottom of a lake or pond, are dormant throughout the season (a bit like hibernation), and consume less energy. This extends their lifespan by several months per year.
Of course, this does not apply to all turtles, some large turtles have a short period of wintering, or almost do not hibernate, but they have the following characteristics - no natural enemies
As a slow-moving mountain of flesh, large turtles cannot be so leisurely without the protection of tortoise shells
This solid layer of armor also makes the large turtles almost no natural enemies in the place of origin after full maturity, and the longer they live, the better the quality of this "armor", then the more offspring they breed, and many offspring inherit this advantage. Millions of years of evolution have made the tortoiseshell harder and harder, and there are fewer and fewer predators.
In addition, the stress-free living environment will also make animals continue to extend their lifespan, such as elephants, large crocodiles, cave salamanders, schistosomiasis, termite queens and so on. It is this near-absolute defensive advantage that makes adult large turtles such as leatherback turtles, green sea turtles, Gala, Yada, Sulcata and other tortoises have almost no natural enemies in their places of origin.
So the life of a large turtle is so simple and unpretentious
And boring....
Next, take an inventory of amphibians and reptiles
The top ten "birthday stars"
10th place: Giant salamander/ closed shell turtle / box turtle
Average 40-50
Limit 50+
Giant salamanders are Andrias
Yellow-rimmed closed-shell turtle Cuora flavomarginata
Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina
Ninth place: Alligator Turtle /Spectacled Caiman
Average 50+
Limit 60+
Macrochelys temminckii
Spectacled Caiman crocodilus
8th place: Brinell's turtle
Average 70-77
The limit is unknown
Emydoidea blandingii
7th place: American alligator / Yangtze crocodile / Oriental turtle genus / giant turtle
Average 65-80
Limit: 80+
American alligator alligator mississippiensis
Alligator sinensis
Asian giant tortoise Heosemys grandis
Temple turtle Heosemys annandalii
Shrew Pelochelys cantorii
Spotted turtle Rafetus swinhoei
Palea steindachneri
6th place: Green Sea Turtle /Leatherback Turtle /Leopard Turtle/Sulcata Tortoise
Average: 80 or more
Leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea
Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas
The top five are the centenarian echelon
5th place: Cave salamander
Average 69
Limit 100+
In 2011, biology letters reported an interesting project on cave salamanders: starting around 1958, scientists started a project to observe a group of cave salamanders. When the research project was launched, the age of these cave salamanders was about 10 years old. Now, 50 years later, they are all 60 years old. But the researchers found that they showed no signs of aging at all. Cave salamanders do not age even when they are close to the limit of their average lifespan. And some individuals can live up to 100 years.
Fourth place: Beaked Lizard
Average 80-100
Limit: 110+
Beaked lizards from New Zealand are not technically lizards
It is the only surviving descendant of the beaked reptiles of 200 million years ago
3rd place: Australian freshwater crocodile/bay crocodile/Nile crocodile
Limit: 120+
Australian freshwater crocodile
Name:Mr. Freshie
Died on December 20, 140 years
Bay crocodile
Name: Henry
Aged: 117 years
Nile crocodile
Name: Kolya
Aged: 110-115 years old
Second place: Greek tortoise/Herman tortoise/radiation tortoise
Average 80+
Limit 150+
Radiation tortoises
Name: Tu'i Malila
Born and died: 1777 – 1965
Died on December 31, 188 years
Herman tortoises
Name: Thomas
Born and died: 1882 – 2013
Died on December 20, 130 years old
Greek tortoise
Name: Timothy
Born and died: 1844 – 2004
Died on December 31, 2012 at the age of 160
1st Prize: Aldabra / Galapagos Tortoise
Average 150
Limit 160+
Aldabra tortoise
Name: Adwaita
Born and died: 1750 – 2006
Aged: 250 years
Galapagos tortoise
Name: Harriet
Born and died: 1830 – 2006
Aged: 175 years
Well, it's either too big
Either the protection level is too high
These "heirlooms" are still good to see
If you want to know more about climbing pets, remember to keep an eye on us!
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